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Missouri-based Spectrum Business Ventures and its affiliates announced they have a deal to take over the assets of the idled E3 Biofuels plant in Mead, Neb. Before the plant entered bankruptcy, it used anaerobic digesters to convert cow manure into methane, which fueled corn-ethanol production. The private investment firm said it intends to reopen the plant next year.

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A ribbon-cutting ceremony today will mark the reopening of Green Plains Renewable Energy's newly acquired ethanol plant in Atkinson, Neb. GPRE bought the plant, which had been idle since June last year, for $15 million and restarted it July 22. "The communities of Atkinson and O'Neill were very helpful in our efforts to restart this plant over the past few weeks," said Todd Becker, GPRE's president, CEO and director.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission should explain why the Omaha Public Power District has received more tasks for the restart of its Fort Calhoun nuclear plant in Nebraska, said Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb. "It just seems like they get really close to being able to reopen and then, all of a sudden, they get these new lists," Terry said. "Why and how does that happen?"

The Environmental Protection Agency's approval of grain sorghum as an eligible feedstock under certain conditions under the Renewable Fuel Standard is expected to boost demand for the grain in Nebraska. According to the EPA, ethanol from grain sorghum can qualify as either a conventional or advanced biofuel, depending on the technology used in the production process. Fourteen U.S. ethanol plants have used grain sorghum to make conventional ethanol, while the Western Plains Energy ethanol plant in Kansas is the most prepared to use it for advanced-biofuel production, said Tim Lust, CEO of National Sorghum Producers.

Spectrum Business Ventures is planning to reopen the E3 Biofuels ethanol plant in Mead, Neb. The facility was designed to operate as a closed-loop system by supplying distillers dried grains to cattle in an adjoining feedlot and then using their manure to generate power at the plant. "Our current focus is on completing construction and beginning production by late spring of 2012," said Justin Shaw, Spectrum's director of business development.

Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings may soon reopen its ethanol plant in Aurora East, Neb., after resolving issues concerning the plant's fermentation system. "Our operational focus is to implement identified changes to bring the Mount Vernon plant [in Indiana] closer to full capacity," said John Castle of Aventine Renewable Energy. "Resolving new plant production issues will help us move forward with the start-up of the Aurora West facility, an identical twin of the Mount Vernon facility," he added.